The present invention generally relates to dough processing machines. More specifically, the invention relates to a machine that divides a mass of dough into smaller uniform quantities. The invention provides an improvement to such a machine.
For producing baked products in large quantities, bakeries use machinery for automating various processes. For instance, various equipment is used for manipulating dough. One such machine is a dough divider, which apportions a large quantity of dough into slugs of smaller, uniform amounts of dough. These slugs of dough can then be formed and cooked into bagels, rolls, pitas, pizza crusts or a variety of other baked goods.
A dough divider can be arranged with other equipment. For example, a dough divider can be arranged so that the output goes into a dough rounder, which forms a slug of dough into a rounded shape. Slugs of dough can also be placed in a roller device for shaping bagels. Conveyor belts are often used for carrying dough from one machine to another for performing various processes.
A dough divider has a means for pumping dough from a reservoir into a measuring cup apparatus. Traditional dough dividers have a piston and cylinder arrangement which draws dough into the cylinder on a piston downstroke. The piston then pushes the dough into a measuring chamber from which a measured amount of dough, or slug, is removed. The process repeats, dividing dough into multiple smaller, uniform slugs.
Traditionally, the measuring chamber is provided by a measuring cup assembly which has a spring-biased plunger slidable within a cylindrical housing. The plunger generally has a face which forms a moveable wall within the housing to define the measuring chamber. A stem extends axially perpendicularly from the plunger face opposite the measuring chamber.
The plunger travel must be limited by a stopping mechanism so that the measuring chamber has a consistent volume. In known dough dividers, the stopping mechanism has been an stop cup, or sleeve-like member fitted over the exterior of the housing. Plunger travel stops when the plunger stem contacts the stop cup. The stop cup is traditionally slidably adjustable over the housing exterior. The setting of the stop cup determines the amount of plunger travel and thus the size of a slug of dough to be produced.
To secure the stop cup in a desired position, a slot has been provided along the side of the stop cup through which a threaded member extends from the cylindrical housing. A wing nut is provided on the threaded member, so that the stop cup position can be locked by tightening the wing nut.
Also, when the wing nut is loosened, the position of the stop cup can be adjusted by turning a threaded shaft which is threaded through the stop cup and contacts the housing. The threaded shaft is aligned on an axis parallel to the axis of the cylindrical housing although the shaft is offset from the axis of the housing so that it does not interfere with the path of a plunger stem which contacts the stop cup at a point central to the stop cup. The threaded shaft can be fitted with a crank for an operator to turn.
The traditional measuring cup assembly described above has been known to come out of adjustment during use of the dough divider. The wing nut locking contact is positioned on the side of the stop cup, but the plunger contacts the stop cup at a central, axial point on each cycle of the divider. Thus, the contact from the plunger tends to wedge the stop cup at an angle. Also, if an operator does not sufficiently tighten the wing nut, the stop cup quickly works its way out of position, resulting in a larger than desired volume of dough being received in the measuring chamber. Furthermore, if an operator turns or bumps into the crank on the threaded shaft while the wing nut is tightened, the stop cup is further misaligned and misadjusted.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved dough divider measuring cup assembly that has an adjustable plunger stopping mechanism which remains locked in position during operation of the dough divider. A need also exists for an improved dough divider measuring cup assembly that has an adjustable plunger stopping mechanism that cannot become misaligned through operator misuse or from the cycling forces of the dough divider. A further need exists for a dough divider measuring cup assembly that is simple for an operator to use. Yet another need exists for a dough divider measuring cup assembly which is simple in design and has few parts.